Apparatus for producing a design in pile fabric



ug. 14, 1956 J. W. KRADOSKA 2,758,355

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A DESIGN 1N PILE FABRIC Filed Feb. ll, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 14, 1956 J. w. KRADOSKA APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A DESIGN IN PILE FABRIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, .1955

APPARATUS FOR PRDUCING A DESIGN IN PILE FABRIC `losepll William Kradoslra, Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 1l, 1953, Serial No. 336,426

1 Claim. (Cl. 26-16) This invention relates to apparatus for applying a design to, or producing a design in, pile fabric by creating variations in the height of the pile, and has for an object the provision of methods and apparatus for rapidly and accurately shearing a design on pile fabric wherein the design may be substantially unlimited as -to variations in a controlled manner.

Heretofore designs have been applied to pile fabrics wherein the design is accomplished by variations made in the height of the pile during the weaving or by cutting the pile to different heights after the fabric has been woven. Weaving a design into a fabric to provide a pile of different heights is an expensive operation and is limited to woven fabrics and is not applicable to the many pile fabrics that are made through other operations such for example as needle `operations as distinguished from being woven. Examples of such needle type fabrics are the various types of tufted fabrics including chenille and the like.

lt has heretofore been proposed `to cut designs in pile fabrics either by hand or by machine operations. However, such prior art arrangements have left something to be desired. Probably the earliest form of cutting a design into a pile fabric was performed by hand operations, and such operations are exceedingly slow and expensive. The prior art machines for cutting a design in a pile fabric with which the applicant is familiar have also involved relatively slow operation, and the arrangements have been such that the design variation has been limited. For example, in one prior art arrangement it was proposed to prepare a looped-pile fabric with a design by rst applying a sizing compound to the fabric so that the loops would become stiffened and stand erect when the size was dry. After this, certain areas of the pile fabric were depressed by means of a roll or die having projecting surfaces corresponding in shape with the design to be produced. While depressed, the remaining areas were cut. After this operation the size was washed out of the fabric, vthus permitting the previously depressed uncut pile loops to be raised and stand in a surrounding field of cut pile to provide the desired design.

Another prior art arrangement for cutting an ornamental design in a pile fabric was to use a roller for pressing down certain areas of the pile, and While these areas were depressed, to cut off the remaining standing areas by means of a belt-knife skiving machine.

The various prior art arrangements have been subject to a number of limitations when considered in connection with present day methods of manufacture of pile fabrics, and rugs in particular. For example, in recent years cotton rugs of the pile type have become increasingly popular, particularly where wall-to-wall installations are desired as they are less expensive than wool rugs. Many of these cotton rugs are not woven, but instead comprise a tufted fabric produced by needle operations, and at present no practical arrangement has been devised to produce a design during the manufac- States Patent ICE ture of the rug. Thus, to produce a design in such tufted cotton pile rugs, it is necessary to cut the design in the pile. This operation when accomplished in accordance with prior art methods has a number yof disadvantages. For example, cotton pile does not have the resiliency of Wool pile. Cotton pile tends to lie down, and thus a clear-cut design cannot be applied -to the cotton pile merely by pressing down certain areas, such for example, by an embossed roller as utilized in the prior art, and then cutting or clipping the pile that is not depressed by the roller. While it is possible rto assist the cotton pile in standing up by applying a size to the pile in accordance with the prior art, such an operation is impractical both `from a time and expense standpoint.y

Another disadvantage in the prior art arrangements has been the limitation in design variations, such limitations tbeing imposed by the physical size of the design roller. As many pile fabrics, such for example as cotton pile rugs, are available in 18 foot widths, in order to utilize a design roller of the prior art, it would be necessary to provide a roller 1S feet long. Even with a small diameter, such for example as 6 inches or 8 inches, a roller 4of such size would be very difficult to handle. Thus, it will be seeny that the limitations imposed on prior art arrangements as to design variation varies directly with the diameter of the design roller. v

In accordance with the present invention the foregoing disadvantages of the prior art have been eliminated by providing a method of applying a design to pile fabric comprising preparing a pattern with design openings, applying the pattern to the pile side ofthe fabric to permit the pile to extend through the design openings in the pattern, applying a force to the pile opposite the design openings in the pattern to cause the pile to extend therethrough and to stand substantially erect, and shearing the pile extending through the design openings in the pattern.

Further in accordance with the invention, there is provided apparatus for applying a design to, or producing a design in, pile fabric comprising means for passing a pile fabric -through a working zone, template means perforated in vaccordance with a predetermined design for engaging the pile side of the fabric within the working zone to permit the pile' opposite the perforations to extend therethrough and to cause the pile between the perforations to be depressed, and means for shearing the pile extending through the perforations of the template means.

Further in accordance with the invention, there is provided means for controlling the lay of the pile extending through the perforations of the template means, wherein said controlling means may comprise an electrostatic-producing means, pressure-producing means or suction-producing means, as hereinafter set forth.

The template means perforated inl accordance with a predetermined design may be in the form of a sheet of material, either metallic or non-metallic, and the sheet material may be provided in the form of an endless belt. As will hereinafter be pointed out in detail, the endless belt may be substantially unlimited in length, and thus the design to be applied to the pile fabric is accordingly substantially unlimited in variation.

For further objects and advantages and for a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View showing a portion of a shearing machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of the template of Fig. l having the predetermined design cut therein and disposed against the pile surface of the fabric;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the pile exposed to shearing extending through the openings in the template and the other pile being held down by the template;

Fig. 3A is a sectional view taken along the line 3A--3A of Fig. 2 and showing a' modification of the invention for varying the depth of cut of the pile;

Fig. 4 is a fractional view on an enlarged scale showing the working parts and their relation to the pile fabric and template Within a working zone similar to that of Fig. l, and includes electrostatic-producing means for causing the pile extending through the perforations in the template to stand substantially erect;

Fig. 5 is a fractional view on enlarged scale showing a Working zone similar to that of Fig. 1 but including pressure means disposed beneath the pile fabric for causin the pile extending through the .perforations in the template to stand substantially erect;

Fig. 6 is a fractional view on enlarged scale showing a working zone similar to that of Fig. 1 and including suction means disposed above the pile surface of the fabric for applying suction to the pile extending through the perforations in the template; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are fractional views of a modification of the template driving means illustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. l, the present invention while not limited thereto has been shown as applied to a shearing machine 10 of the conventional and well-known type, such for example as a Curtis and Marble machine. The pile fabric 11 to which the design is to be applied is fed from left to right in Fig. 1 from a supply roll (not shown) over a series of rollers 12-14 supported at their ends as by frame F. One or more of the rollers 12-14 may be driven for feeding the pile fabric through the working zone 17 of the machine. Included in Working zone 17 is a cutting roller or revolver 18, upon the periphery of which is a series of continuous spiral cutting edges 18a and a stationary blade or ledger-blade 19. The pile fabric is fed continuously through the machine 10, passing rollers 12-14 and tensioning devices 15, 16 which smooth it and pass it over a straight edge member indicated at 20 where it is sharply bent, and the bers 11a of the pile fabric 11, Figs. 46, are projected outwardly in substantially a single line across the machine and caught between the spiral blades 18a of rotary cutter 18 and the straight knife 19, whereupon the pile 11a is reduced in length.

In accordance with the present invention, in order to control the pile 11a to be sheared or cut off by the cutting members 18 and 19, there is provided a template means 22 in the form of sheet material having a predetermined design cut therein. The template means 22 has been shown in the form of an endless belt passing over a series of rollers -28. The belt 22 may be made of any suitable sheet material, either metallic or non-metallic, such for example, as sheet metal, fiber, leather, rubber, fabric, plastic, paper, spun glass with resinous binder, and the like. The endless belt 22 engages the pile surface of the fabric within the Working zone 17 and between rollers 25 and 28. As the template 22 and pile fabric 11 pass through the working zone 17 of the machine, the pile 11a opposite the openings 22a in the template is permitted to extend therethrough, Whereas the pile beneath the solid portions of the template will be depressed and thus not exposed to the cutting knives 18 and 19, such for example, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The endless belt 22 moves through the Working zone 17 of the shearing machine 10 in synchronization with movement of the pile fabric 11. The endless belt 22 may be driven in synchronization with pile fabric 11 in any suitable manner, for example, by driving one or more of rollers 25-28 or by providing the edges of the endless belt 22 with a series of spikes 23 for engaging the edges of the pile fabric 11, and thus causing the template or endless belt 22 to move through the working zone 17 in synchronization with the movement or travel of pile fabric 11.

Another arrangement for controlling the template as it passes over its rollers 25-28 and through the Working zone of the machine is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. The template 22', having design openings 22'a therein, is provided at its edges 24 with a series of perforations 24a for cooperation with a series of projections such as the teeth 40a on sprocket wheel 40. Each of rollers 25--28 preferably is provided with a similar sprocket wheel 40 in the manner shown in Fig. 7 in connection with roller 27. As pointed out above, one or more of rollers 25--28 may be driven and thus the template 22 will be passed through the working zone of the machine by the sprocket wheel 4t), thereby assuring uniform alignment and repeats of the patterns with respect to the pile fabric. The edges 24 are formed integral with the template 22' and may be et the same or different material. Preferably, however, the edges 24 are formed of metal even though the remainder of the template 22' may be non-metallic.

ln order to present a clear-cut design in the lnished fabric, it is neces-sary during the shearing operation that the lay of the pile opposite the perforations be such that substantially all the bers of the pile opposite the perforations 22a extend therethrough and stand erect so that they may be uniformly sheared by the shearing members if and 19. With pile fabrics where the pile is of relatively high resiliency, the foregoing will be accomplished more or less automatically when the template 22 is pressed against the pile surface of the fabric. However, in some pile fabrics, such for example as cotton pile fabrics, the pile is of relatively low resiliency and has a tendency to lie down. Thus, it is desirable to provide means for controlling the lay of the pile 11a opposite the perforations 22a of the template 22 to insure that the pile will extend therethrough and to cause the pile to stand substantially erect. Accordingly, there has been illustrated in Fig. l, as one type of such means, an electrostatic-producing means which, for example, may be in the form of a rotary brush 39. The brush 30 may be driven at a suitable speed to create a static field, for example, 30D-400 R. P. M., or above, and acts on the pile opposite the openings 22a in the template 22 within the working zone 17. The static tield created by the brush 3G causes the pile opposite the openings 22a in the template to extend therethrough and to stand substantially erect as it is being sheared by the shearing means 13 and 19, thus providing for a uniform cutting of the pile and imparting a clear-cut design to the pile fabric.

ln Fig. 4 there is shown a modication of the electro* static-producing means of Fig. l. A means for creating an electrostatic field, such as a rotary brush 3i similar to brush Sil, is disposed beneath the pile fabric 1i at the working zone 17 and there is provided a grounded means or plate 32 above the pile fabric for concentrating the electrostatic tield in a direction to cause the pile 11a opposite the perforations 22a to extend therethrough and to stand substantially erect.

In Fig. 5 there has been illustrated another mean-s for causing the pile extending through the perforations in the template 22 to stand substantially erect as it passes through the working zone. This means has been illustrated as a pressure means 35 in the form of a pressure head extending transversely of the .shearing machine 10 and parallel to the shearing roller but at the opposite surface of the pile fabric from the shearing roller 18. The pressure means or head 35 is designed to be connected to a suitable source of compressed air (not shown) for directing a flow of compressed air against the under surface of the pile fabric 11 to cause the pile 11a opposite the perforations 22a in the template 22 to extend therethrough and to stand substantially erect as it is being sheared in the Working zone by the shearing members 18 and 19.

Another means for controlling the lay of the pile with respect to the perforations in the template 22 Within the working zone of machine 1t) has been illustrated in Fig. 6 in the form of suction means 38. The suction means 38 is disposed above the pile surface of the fabric in a position similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1 for the brush 30, and as the template 22 `and pile fabric 11 pass through the working zone over member 2Gb, suction is applied to the pile 11a opposite the openings in the template 22, thus causing the pile 11a to extend therethrough and to stand substantially erect so that it may be readily and uniformly shared by the cutting or shearing members 18 and 19. The member 2Gb preferably is perforated to permit the air readily to be drawn through the pile fabric 11 by the suction means 38.

While the invention has been described as particularly applicable to applying a design to cotton pile rugs, it is to be understood that it is not limited to cotton pile fabrics, but is applicable to all types of pile fabrics including wool, mohair, plush and the like. Since the invention is applicable to different pile fabrics, and since some pile fabrics react differently than others, that is one of the reasons applicant has provided a plurality of means and methods for extending the pile within the working zone, such for example as the static, pressure and suction arrangements described above. While all of these arrangements are effective on the various materials, it is to be understood that one or more of these arrangements may be more effective than the other, depending upon the material being operated upon.

In one embodiment of the invention, the rotary cutter 18 had a diameter of between 6 inches and 14 inches and traveled at a -speed of about 700 R. P. M. The speed of the fabric within the working Zone was about one yard per minute, and the depth of cut was approximately 1A: inch. It is to be understood that the speed of the cutter and the speed of the fabric may be regulated so that it can be varied with different types of fabrics. While a rotary shearing machine has been described and illustrated in connection with this invention, it is to be under-stood that the cutting or shearing means is not limited to a rotary shearing machine, but is applicable to other arrangements for cutting or shearing the ends of the pile extending through the template means 22. For example, the cutting knife need not be of the rotary type but may be any equivalent cutting or shearing means, such for example as a pair of clipper blades, one of which is a serrated knife reciprocating `shearwise with a similar blade stationary or also reciprocating, or a flat blade as utilized in a conventional .belt-knife skiving machine, or the like.

In view of the foregoing description, it will be seen that the template means 22 or 22 provided by applicant has a number of advantages not heretofore found in the prior art, and at the same time has none of the disadvantage: of prior art arrangements. For example, to apply a design of pile fabric, such as carpet material 18 feet in width, it would be impractical to use a roller of any sizable diameter, and since the diameter of a roller is limited, this necessarily limits the extent of variation that may be provided in the design. In the applicants arrangement, it has been pointed out that the template means 22 or 22 may be widely varied as to length, and thus the design to be applied to the rug may likewise be widely varied. This feature is of considerable importance in installations where a carpet of relatively great length is utilized, such for example, in hotels or 4other public buildings or in pullman cars, or the like, where it may be desired to vary the design for the full or a substantial length of the carpet. While carpet material is supplied in widths less than 18 feet, nevertheless this size has become increasingly impor tant from a commercial standpoint due to the increasing popularity of wall-to-wall installations in the home.

A further advantage provided by applicants arrangement is that the depth of cut may be varied individually with respect to each design perforation. While it is possible in applicants arrangement uniformly to vary the depth of the design to be cut in the rug by raising or lowering the cutting members and thus varying the spacing between the cutting members and the pile surface of the rug, it is likewise possible to control the depth of each element of the design to be cut into the rug. This feature may be attained as shown in Figs. 2 and 3A by varying the thickness of the template means 22 surrounding a predetermined number of the perforations 22a, such for example, as by applying a patch 22h to each of those sections of the template 22 and thus decreasing the height that the pile will extend through the openings in those areas of the template. To avoid interference between the template 22 and the cutter 18, due to the patch portions 2217, the cutting blades 18a preferably may be notched at locations corresponding to the disposition of the patches across the template 22. By selectively varying the depth of cut in the foregoing manner, different design effects are created due to changes in color in the pile fabric resulting from the different lengths of pile presented in the finished design.

The term template has been used generically in the specification and in the claim and is intended to include any means having perforations through which the pile of a pile fabric can extend in order that it may be sheared by a suitable shearing means, such as a stencil, matrix, pattern, 4or the like. The term shearing has been used generically in the specification and claim and is intended to include any equivalent means for cutting, severing, clipping, or the like, for operating on the ends of the pile of a pile fabric.

It is also to be understood that other changes and modifications of the invention may be made within the scope of the appended claim and that the invention is not limited to the specific arrangements shown.

What is claimed is:

Apparatus for applying a design to pile fabric cornprising means for passing a pile fabric through a working zone, sheet means perforated in accordance with a predetermined design for engaging the pile side of the fabric within the working zone to permit the pile opposite the perforations to extend therethrough and to cause the pile between the perforations to be depressed, means on said perforated sheet means for synchronizing said sheet means with movement of the pile fabric through the working zone, said lastnamed means cornprising a series of spikes extending along the edge of said sheet means, means for causing the pile opposite said perforations to extend therethrough and to stand sub stantially erect, and means for shearing the pile extending through the perforations of said Asheet means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 84,483 Earnshaw Dec. 1, 1868 205,815 Strakosch July 9, 1878 795,359 Moore July 25, 1905 1,253,049 Kitsee Ian. 8, 1918 1,708,763 Huss et al. Apr. 9, 1929 1,747,406 Waag Feb. 18, 1930 1,895,843 Boyd Jan. 31, 1933 2,119,057 Richa May 3l, 1938 

